Need lighting advice from my fellow reefers...

[bulletsworld]

Actually after reading the reference guide I imagine the ANSI code is probably M57. Hey on the link its got a column called Ballast Type (i.g Pulse, Probe, HQI and MV/MH) Have any idea what it really means? Like what’s a Probe ballast type? Sorry all new to this.

Also looking for your opinions, thoughts & experiences on the following bulbs:

Coralife 175W 10,000K
Hamilton 175W 10,000K
Venture 175 10, 000K
XM (never heard of on list ) 175 10, 000K

Also curious as to where everyone buys their bulbs from?



I'm so excited about lights I can't work!

[mr_alberta]

MV = Mercury Vapor (if you look on JL's, it will be listed as "EYE" and are used only (as far as I know) for the Iwasaki 6500K bulbs.

HQI ballasts are typically used with double ended Metal Halide bulbs, but I believe the can be used with some mogul end bulbs (i.e. Radiums), but overdrives them giving them more output, but a shorter lifespan.

Pulse and Probe are another two different ways that Metal Halide ballasts can ignite metal halide bulbs, one requires a ballast and capacitor and the other requires a ballast, capacitor and a starter (I think that's what its called). Don't ask me which one is which though since I can't remember

Then there are electronic ballasts which can act as all of the above type ballasts (don't ask me how those work either).

Are you running actinics on this? If not you may want to consider higher kelvin bulbs. If you are, then 10000K should work well. I would skip the Coralife bulbs. The most popular brands of bulbs seem to be:

Ushio
Aqualine Bushke (aka AB) (love their 250W DE bulbs)
Hamilton (hear their 14000K is out of this world!)
CoralVue (currently running a 12000K 250W DE on my tank)
Giesmann/BLV (though I don't know if they make 175W bulbs)
XM
Radiums (Dez uses these on his bowfront)

I've heard mostly good things about all of the above bulbs, but they are usually more costly. The cheaper bulbs include Sun Aquatics, Venture and a few others. I've owned and run a Sun Aquatics 175W 10000K bulb and thought the color was nice (but dim). Quite a few other reefers have had problems with them being very yellow (almost 5500K yellow) though.

Also, remember that the color of the bulb may change a little after the initial "breaking in" or "burn in" time which is typically 100hrs or so. Oh, and remember to acclimatize your corals to the new light. You don't want them to go through light shock and bleach.

[Richer]

I use 10 000k 175w ushio bulbs supplemented with a 95W VHO actinic on my tank.

Here's a pic of my xenia patch before the bulbs were burned in:


As you can see, its pretty yellow even with the 95W actinic.

Here's a pic of the same xenia patch after the bulbs were burned in:


Quite an improvement in colour IMO.

Both pictures were taken with the same camera on the same setting.

-Richer

[bulletsworld]

Originally Posted by newguy

Also, remember that the color of the bulb may change a little after the initial "breaking in" or "burn in" time which is typically 100hrs or so. Oh, and remember to acclimatize your corals to the new light. You don't want them to go through light shock and bleach.

Good to know, good to know! Thanks! My brain is just absorbing away! Thanks a bunch for posting those pic's Richer! Thanks for showing me! Absorbing rally good info.

Also yeah acclimatize your corals to the new lights. I was thinking about that. Hmm..... How did everyone start off when they got their new MH lighting?

[bulletsworld]

OMG! the MH lights are expensive hey! Coralife @ Big Al's for 175 W 10K $219.99 for one! Hamiltons 175W 10K @ J&L's $124.00 each. Ahhh I see where they bend you over in this hobby

Bev told me a place to check but it has totally slipped my mine. What do you pay for bulbs for your hamilton's, Bev?

Where do you buy your lighting from everyone?

[Bob I]

I thought the bulbs were coming with the fixture. If the ballast is M57 (unlikely) It would be better to go with XM's as they are supposed to work well with M57 ballasts. I myself use Aqualine 10000K' s which actually test out at 14000K. I get mine from Premium Aquatics. I have had good success with them. I always get my stuff shipped by way of the USPS. No hassle with customs. I always pay just GST and the $5.00 handling charge.

[mr_alberta]

Yes, purchasing bulbs from the US always seems cheaper. They often have a much wider selection as well.

[bulletsworld]

O.h no.... I guess my friend told me he checked out these used lights for me.

I guess the guy selling the unit was told when he bought the lighting that the lights were Hamilton. They are infact Coralife. The actinic blues are 40watt normal output, NOT power compacts. All other specs are correct.

So the actinic's are normal output, any difference really? And the unit is Coralife lighting, any good? Would love your thoughts and opinions!

Tanks a SUPER BUNCH in Advance!

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by bulletsworld

Bev told me a place to check but it has totally slipped my mine. What do you pay for bulbs for your hamilton's, Bev?

We buy certain bulbs/tubes in bulk from Commercial Lighting located on the south side. Don't have their address on hand, but they're in the phone book. They only sell in bulk. Our Hamilton Tech 175w 6500K MHs come from J&L. We usually buy two at a time and pay whatever they ask If we were to order the MHs from Commercial Lighting, we could get the bulbs for less, though I don't know how much less. But the problem with that is we would have to order in bulk which would be 6 or 8 bulbs at a time

[mr_alberta]

I like the Coralife PC fixtures, but really don't know anything about thier MH fixtures. Sorry Lee, can't help you there. Try snooping around on RC, I'm sure someone there has used it at some point.